Meet the team behind Alpaca, a solution transforming early literacy assessment with AI
Interview with Joe Fernandez, founder and CEO of Alpaca. This article is part of a series introducing the teams and their solutions from the 2024 edition of the Digital Education Accelerator.
Alpaca is an Irish start-up with a platform that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to transform early literacy assessment for young children.
It uses interactive tablet games to identify literacy difficulties in children as young as four, providing an engaging and efficient way to screen for dyslexia and other challenges.
Meet Joe Fernandez
Joe is a former head of commercial technology with Folens Publishers, Ireland’s largest education publisher and a former Senior Industry Advisor EBRD for the creative sector (including edtech and publishing).
He’s also a co-founder of a gaming company that floated on the London Stock Exchange sub-market for small and medium enterprises.
Who else is in your team?
- Colm Fallon - Data Science Advisor, and Developer
- Cathal McGahan - Developer
- Michael Lenehan - Developer
- SallyAnn O'Connor - Project Manager
- Aima Molati - Research Assistant
What are the biggest challenges in digital education?
The lack of early intervention opportunities and the need for tools that are both scalable and efficient.
Many traditional assessment methods are time-consuming, require specialised skills, and often wait until a child shows signs of struggle before offering support.
This creates a gap in early education where children miss out on crucial developmental support. Additionally, digital education solutions must adapt to diverse learning environments and provide actionable data to be effective and accessible for educators and families alike.
“We genuinely believe that no parent should ever have to fight to get suitable learning support for their child, and no child needs to fail for evidence to become available.”
Joe Fernandez, founder and CEO of Alpaca
What challenges in digital education does your solution address?
Alpaca addresses the need for efficient, scalable, and accessible tools in early literacy assessment. Our solution offers an AI-driven, gamified platform that allows children as young as four to be screened for literacy difficulties in a fun and engaging way.
By providing real-time data and immediate feedback, we reduce the time and skills required for assessments, ensuring children receive the necessary support early on.
This approach helps fill the gap in early intervention, making it easier for educators and families to act before challenges become more significant.
How can the Accelerator programme support you?
The Accelerator programme allows us to look beyond the daily operational challenges and focus on systemic change.
Engaging with other members and accessing the Hub’s resources helps us refine our approach and understand the broader digital education landscape, giving us the opportunity to create a more impactful solution.
What are the next steps for your team?
We plan to keep listening to parents, educators, and students, treating them as collaborators. By co-creating AI-driven solutions tailored to their needs, we aim to expand our impact and ensure no child or parent is left without the support they need.